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New Potato Salad with Green Beans and Radishes

It is so easy to think of a potato salad as a pile of stodgy potatoes that are smothered in an acidic mayonnaise. In fact, a potato salad is pretty much a staple at any BBQ or picnic that we all have a slight fondness towards! At the first rays of sunshine us Brits (and Germans..) head out to the parks or into the garden armed with sausage rolls, meat, sandwiches, quiches and basically anything else that can either be thrown onto a grill or packs up nicely into a box and is easy to eat while all squashed up on a tiny bit of the picnic blanket wondering if it is going to rain or not. It is all part of the charm and I quite like it! While Berlin summers are in no way a mediterranean climate and you can still be caught short with a sudden bit of rain we are lucky to have fairly decent summers that give ample opportunity to arrange a picnic or BBQ in the sunshine. But I have a great fondness for the British picnic that involves packing the umbrella!

I actually can’t stand the shop-bought potato salad’s, especially the ones here in Germany that are sold by the bucket load, an almost illuminous yellow and are just crying out to be served alongside a bratwurst! They are really acidic and I feel like my mouth is swimming in mayonnaise. It just isn’t for me and is why I always make my own.

The important thing about a potato salad is that it is easy to make and you can add any other leftover vegetables to mix it up a bit. I like to keep mine simple and sometimes serve mine warm when eating it at home. The dressing is made with crème fraîche, lemon juice and wholegrain mustard which is a healthier alternative to just throwing in a jar of Hellmann’s mayo! For this recipe I like to make the most of the spring/ summer produce and use radishes and green beans. I then add plenty of fresh parsley and spring onions.

Put the potatoes onto boil with a pinch of salt for around 8-10 mins or until tender. Drain and add a bit of butter to them. Mix well and season with a little black pepper.

In the meantime also put the green beans onto boil for around 5 mins. Then drain.

Add the crème fraîche, mustard and lemon juice to a large mix bowl and mix well until combined. Then add the radishes, potatoes and green beans. Mix well so that everything is once again well combined and then stir in the fresh parsley and spring onions. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Leave to stand for around 5 mins if eating warm or leave to cool completely before placing in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.